Admissions
Tomorrow's leaders
among today's
forgotten children.
Our unique admissions process changes the landscape of who can access quality education.
Still I Rise International School – Nairobi offers world-class education completely free of charge. We’re the first worldwide to democratize élite schooling specifically for refugee and vulnerable children.
Admission at SIRIS is a carefully designed and competitive process aimed to the most disadvantaged as well as the most gifted in the city of Nairobi and beyond.
Most International Schools offer access to only those who can financially afford the fees. If discounted or full-ride scholarship places are offered, this is often a competition among the most academically performing. Either way, the most disadvantaged are always locked out.
VULNERABILITY
Our method of selection is firstly based on evidenced long-term economic and legal vulnerability. Visits and events held by our Community Team, along with collaboration with a trusted network of local partners, help us identify children aged 10 and 11 in and beyond Nairobi who have been denied quality education and have the most to gain from a holistic, transformative and highly innovative approach to education.
APTITUDE
Curiosity, compassion, empathy, problem-solving skills and the ability to positively guide peers. While most International Schools select students based on academic preparation, we look for aptitude and soft skills.
LEADERSHIP
As we aim to raise tomorrow’s leaders among todays’ most vulnerable, we select students not for their ability to read and write but for their innate capability to positively impact others and generate tangible change.
Potential
After interviews with caregivers and verification measures, we invite cohorts of children each year to participate in a special Education Camp at the school. For two weeks, each child has the opportunity to take part in a series of engaging projects:
CHANGE
A group project aimed at bringing about positive change in the community.
INNOVATE
A group project about being entrepreneurial.
EXPLORE
An individual assignment on storytelling.
LEARN
A dive into academic lessons taught through the SIR Method.
As we select students, we do not award for performance, but rather potential. We don’t look for the most academically gifted. We look for the most ambitious, the most brave and the most caring. We look for children who display the ability to grow and thrive within our system. That’s how we lay the foundations for an eight year long journey to change the world.